Bottom Line:
TCs have been found in different organs, while there is still a lack of TCs-specific biomarkers to distinguish TCs from the other cells.The TCs-specific genes and functional networks were identified and analyzed by bioinformatics tools. 16 and 10 of TCs-specific genes were up-regulated and 68 and 22 were down-regulated in chromosome 17 and 18, as compared with other cells respectively.TCs also participated in proliferation, differentiation and regeneration.

Background: Telocytes (TCs) is an interstitial cell with extremely long and thin telopodes (Tps) with thin segments (podomers) and dilations (podoms) to interact with neighboring cells. TCs have been found in different organs, while there is still a lack of TCs-specific biomarkers to distinguish TCs from the other cells.

Results: We compared gene expression profiles of murine pulmonary TCs on days 5 (TC5) and days 10 (TC10) with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), fibroblasts (Fbs), alveolar type II cells (ATII), airway basal cells (ABCs), proximal airway cells (PACs), CD8(+) T cells from bronchial lymph nodes (T-BL), and CD8(+) T cells from lungs (T-LL). The chromosome 17 and 18 genes were extracted for further analysis. The TCs-specific genes and functional networks were identified and analyzed by bioinformatics tools. 16 and 10 of TCs-specific genes were up-regulated and 68 and 22 were down-regulated in chromosome 17 and 18, as compared with other cells respectively. Of them, Mapk14 and Trem2 were up-regulated to indicate the biological function of TCs in immune regulation, and up-regulated MCFD2 and down-regulated E4F1 and PDCD2 had an association with tissue homeostasis for TCs. Over-expressed Dpysl3 may promote TCs self-proliferation and cell-cell network forming.

Conclusions: The differential gene expression in chromosomes 17 and 18 clearly revealed that TCs were the distinctive type of interstitial cells. Our data also indicates that TCs may play a dual role in immune surveillance and immune homoeostasis to keep from immune disorder in acute and chronic pulmonary diseases. TCs also participated in proliferation, differentiation and regeneration.

Reviewers: This article was reviewed by Qing Kay Li and Dragos Cretoiu.

Mentions:
Hierarchical clustering of genes in chromosomes 17 and 18 was performed by TIGR Multi-experiment Viewer (MeV v4.9), respectively (Figure 1A and B). The physical and functional interaction of specific genes was further evaluated by String Network analysis (www.string-db.org) in chromosomes 17 and 18 (Figure 2). Twenty six genes presented close associations with each other. TCs-specific genes which were up- or down-regulated in TC5 and TC10 were selected as gene clusters. Figures 3 and 4 demonstrated differential changes of TCs-specific genes in TCs and other cells. Top 20% up- or down-regulated genes in TC5 or TC10 were extracted and compared with other cells via the normalize gene expression data in either chromosomes 17 (Figure 5) or 18 (Figure 6). The result showed that high or low expressed genes in TCs had few similarities with Fbs, MSCs, ATII, ABCs, PACs, T-BL, or T-LL, respectively.Figure 1

Mentions:
Hierarchical clustering of genes in chromosomes 17 and 18 was performed by TIGR Multi-experiment Viewer (MeV v4.9), respectively (Figure 1A and B). The physical and functional interaction of specific genes was further evaluated by String Network analysis (www.string-db.org) in chromosomes 17 and 18 (Figure 2). Twenty six genes presented close associations with each other. TCs-specific genes which were up- or down-regulated in TC5 and TC10 were selected as gene clusters. Figures 3 and 4 demonstrated differential changes of TCs-specific genes in TCs and other cells. Top 20% up- or down-regulated genes in TC5 or TC10 were extracted and compared with other cells via the normalize gene expression data in either chromosomes 17 (Figure 5) or 18 (Figure 6). The result showed that high or low expressed genes in TCs had few similarities with Fbs, MSCs, ATII, ABCs, PACs, T-BL, or T-LL, respectively.Figure 1

Bottom Line:
TCs have been found in different organs, while there is still a lack of TCs-specific biomarkers to distinguish TCs from the other cells.The TCs-specific genes and functional networks were identified and analyzed by bioinformatics tools. 16 and 10 of TCs-specific genes were up-regulated and 68 and 22 were down-regulated in chromosome 17 and 18, as compared with other cells respectively.TCs also participated in proliferation, differentiation and regeneration.

Background: Telocytes (TCs) is an interstitial cell with extremely long and thin telopodes (Tps) with thin segments (podomers) and dilations (podoms) to interact with neighboring cells. TCs have been found in different organs, while there is still a lack of TCs-specific biomarkers to distinguish TCs from the other cells.

Results: We compared gene expression profiles of murine pulmonary TCs on days 5 (TC5) and days 10 (TC10) with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), fibroblasts (Fbs), alveolar type II cells (ATII), airway basal cells (ABCs), proximal airway cells (PACs), CD8(+) T cells from bronchial lymph nodes (T-BL), and CD8(+) T cells from lungs (T-LL). The chromosome 17 and 18 genes were extracted for further analysis. The TCs-specific genes and functional networks were identified and analyzed by bioinformatics tools. 16 and 10 of TCs-specific genes were up-regulated and 68 and 22 were down-regulated in chromosome 17 and 18, as compared with other cells respectively. Of them, Mapk14 and Trem2 were up-regulated to indicate the biological function of TCs in immune regulation, and up-regulated MCFD2 and down-regulated E4F1 and PDCD2 had an association with tissue homeostasis for TCs. Over-expressed Dpysl3 may promote TCs self-proliferation and cell-cell network forming.

Conclusions: The differential gene expression in chromosomes 17 and 18 clearly revealed that TCs were the distinctive type of interstitial cells. Our data also indicates that TCs may play a dual role in immune surveillance and immune homoeostasis to keep from immune disorder in acute and chronic pulmonary diseases. TCs also participated in proliferation, differentiation and regeneration.

Reviewers: This article was reviewed by Qing Kay Li and Dragos Cretoiu.